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Uh oh? New York Times Reports - Davis Likely to Refuse Hornets' Offer

In a story dated July 2 (yep tomorrow's news today) the New York Times seems to believe that Baron won't sign. If accurate, Baron is a bigger coullion than immaginable and Harvey may just get to hold that order of crow.

The first day of negotiations began in the N.B.A. yesterday, but it was the case of a player who cannot become a free agent until after next season that made the biggest stir.

Baron Davis, the Hornets' All-Star guard, had declared that he wanted to be traded — preferably to a big-market city like New York, Los Angeles or Chicago — rather than move with the franchise to New Orleans. But Bob Bass, the Hornets' vice president for basketball operations, repeated his intention to keep Davis by offering him a six-year contract extension.

The 23-year-old Davis will earn $3.9 million in the fourth year of his contract and cannot become a free agent until next summer. The contract, determined by the collective bargaining agreement, could be worth about $88 million, depending on where the salary cap is set later this summer.

Bass said yesterday he got no answer from Davis or his agent, Jerome Stanley. "We showed a commitment to New Orleans and the Hornets and an effort to keep the best players available," Bass said.

Despite the Knicks' interest in Davis before the draft and their desire to upgrade the point-guard position, a trade appears unlikely because of the Hornets' hard-line stance. "We have no intention to trade Baron Davis — period," Bass said.

That could put Davis and the Hornets at an impasse. Reached earlier in the day before the Hornets' offer was released, Stanley indicated that Davis did not want to play in New Orleans next season.

"That is correct," Stanley said. He added that Davis would be interested in playing in New York.

Bass said he did not wish to comment on whether the Knicks had contacted him, but said that "three to four teams" contacted him after Davis said he did not want to play in New Orleans. The Knicks are believed to have been one of those teams but were unable to work out a deal. It would probably take Latrell Sprewell to complete a deal but a one-for-one trade is impossibile because of salary-cap restrictions.

Scott Layden, the Knicks' president and general manager, declined to comment yesterday on either the offer for Davis or the Knicks' free-agent plans. In addition to point guard (despite drafting Frank Williams), adding a center to replace Marcus Camby is another need.

Trying to make a trade for Cleveland point guard Andre Miller would be difficult because the Knicks do not seem to have the right players at the right price for the Cavs. The Knicks are still winding down from the excitement of last week's trade for Antonio McDyess and were not yet lining up Broadway tickets for prospective free agents.

I was just about to point out your bold faced part before you did. Sounds like the Times is just rehashing old news. It said reached earlier in the day BEFORE the offer was released. It could be that Baron was keeping his hard line until actually seeing the max offered.

My guy, no not SpongeRidge, said Baron was adamant about wanting out. After reading the threads and earlier news, I though he may have come to his senses or was posturing for a big contract all along. If he turns this deal down, he is not a coullion, he is an idiot. I know I ordered my crow, but I just may take a Miller instead.

We'll see. The media needs to be held more accountable. I wonder if a fan would stand a chance in a lawsuit? It sounds pretty silly but with them getting us all excited about thinking Baron had agree to a deal in principle only to announce what we all knew anyway, that a contract was only being offered, it has to make one quite angry.

I heard the same thing on the Fox sports affiliate out in LA only to have them change to a contract only being offered later in the day.

I think we should all just put a hold on the specualtion. All we know for certain is that Baron is coming to town in a couple of days and he will have a near $90-million contract sitting in front of him. If he can look at that and turn it down, God bless him because he is a better man than I am. If he does in fact turn it down, I say we get the Cavs on the phone and see if Andre Miller is interested in that kind of money.

If he wont play for us, then send him to some place like Atlanta. Yeah I bet he would love to play there. He would beg to come to New Orleans then. Do then even have anyone that we would want?

Where stately oaks and broad magnolias shade inspiring halls,
There stands our dear old Alma Mater who to us recalls
Fond memories that waken in our hearts a tender glow
And make us happy for the love that we have learned to know.

All praise to thee, our Alma Mater, molder of mankind.
May greater glory, love unending, be forever thine.
Our worth in life will be thy worth, we pray to keep it true,
And may thy spirit live in us... forever, L-S-U.

LSU_MPA, the problem is a team like Atlanta knows they would not have the chance to sign him either and would not give much in return for a trade. If we traded him and wanted fair value, we would have to get him to LA, NY or CHI somehow. I think CHI is out of the running now. I think they are happy with Williams at PG.

Originally posted by Harvey Hornet LSU_MPA, the problem is a team like Atlanta knows they would not have the chance to sign him either and would not give much in return for a trade. If we traded him and wanted fair value, we would have to get him to LA, NY or CHI somehow. I think CHI is out of the running now. I think they are happy with Williams at PG.

Exactly. The problem is that none of those places have anything the Hornets want unless you count New Jersey as New York and they are willing to part with JKidd.

I would like to hear what Kaufmann says now. In the original report he was quoted as saying that an agreement was reached. If he does not sign a max deal, we need to see what we could get in return. I am hopeful he will sign though.

Clippers not likely for Baron

I have been following what crazy Donald Sterling might be thinking. It seems that both of those PF first rounder will be kept long term. If Olowakandi is going to be maxed out and Sterling wants to keep Odom and Miles (who Sterling reportedly loves), Elton Brand might be on his way out of town. Marco Jaric is slated to be the Clippers' point guard with Keyon Dooling backing him up. Thus, it may be a situation where LAC thinks dumping Brand and keeping the rest of the roster in tact might be the best way to go for the long term, both financially and basketball-wise.

In the perfect world, maybe Bass and Co. will choose to accept a blockbuster 3-way deal involving the Cavs and Knicks. NYK wants Baron, we want Miller, and the Cavs want Lebron James (and losing may be the real Cav gameplan to get him next year).

Personally, I think acquiring Andre Miller makes New Orleans better because he will make Courtney Alexander a star and Jamal Mashburn even better. Of course, New York papers say the Knicks will give up McDyess to get that bonafide star point guard.

I say we let him play out the last year of his contract, match the offer next year and draft a PG to groom under him within that two year time frame that he has to play for us. After that, he can do whatever he wants. BD sure isn't making any friends through his agent. C'est la vie.

Originally posted by spongey I say we let him play out the last year of his contract, match the offer next year and draft a PG to groom under him within that two year time frame that he has to play for us. After that, he can do whatever he wants. BD sure isn't making any friends through his agent. C'est la vie.

Looks like we are going to have a knock down before the wedding. Why would you want a guy on the team who wants to leave so bad he has turned down approximately 85M? How good could he really be for your locker room. Maybe he could hang around just long enough to convince others to follow him too. Why would you let him walk free in two years? If we did not have any alternatives, I would agree, but we have options. We can maximize his value today and score a serious player or two and maybe some draft picks if we traded him now. While I would prefer him to stay, I don't think the team would lose too much if anything at all if we could somehow swing a deal for Andre Miller. C'mon coullion!!!

I think his trade value is down and Bass is building it back up with the "we're not getting rid of Baron, no way no how" talk because Bass knows that he's going to have to deal him. I think Baron is professional enough not to be a cancer in the locker room if he stays (or at least I hope so). He'll also want to play his best so that he can get max dollars after his contract is up. I wouldn't mind seeing Miller in a Hornets jersey but I don't want to trade Baron for the sake of trading him and get nothing (or worse -- Latrell Sprewell) in return.

Please, no Spreewell!!! I agree 100% with that. Looks like Harvey decided to be stand up too quick. My friend with the team told me Baron was so adamant against playing here (wanting to be in a big city) that he believed Baron WILL NOT SIGN ANY KIND OF EXTENSION with the Hornets. Mark this day down. Harvey was wrong only because he thought he was wrong!!!

I notice your depth chart doesn't have PJ Brown on it. I don't want to get rid of PJ!!! Everyone is trying to find a way to get a player with local flavor (Stromile-yuk, Sh(it)aq) and we have a guy from Slidell who contributes a lot to the team already on board.

Well, HH..if you look at my trade idea, PJ's gotta be part of it to make sense for NYK. I remember watching PJ play against my UNO Privateers way back when and think he has been a wondeful pro. But, I'll trade him and Baron in a heart beat for Miller and McDyess. If they stay healthy, we're playing the Lakers next June.